Demonstration of political prowess by businesses

Shamsul Huq Zahid | Published: December 18, 2013 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

That political stability is sine qua non for economic progress and for carrying out trade and business activities unhindered is again being felt in this part of the world, but at a huge cost.
The political instability is nothing new in Bangladesh where the people have developed an uncanny habit of living with it. But this time around they too are finding it hard to cope with a very prolonged instability marked by violence of a serious nature.
During the periods of all the previous political troubles, the people also had suffered economically and developed a sense of physical insecurity. But the economic sufferings during the current spate of political unrest have surpassed all past records. The physical safety concern is now more than anytime in the past because of sudden arson attacks made by so-called political activists on motorised vehicles. More than 100 valuable lives have already been lost since the opposition started enforcing strike and blockade programmes.
In fact, none has gone unscathed. The rich and the poor alike are paying a heavy price for a problem that is very difficult on their part to resolve. Until and unless the political parties fighting over the issue of poll-time government resolve the problem the people would continue to suffer.
But it has become really difficult to bear with the disruptions that the strikes and blockades are causing to life and economy for days together.
The other day businesses under the auspices of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) organised 'human chains' all over the country in support of the demand for doing their business and carrying out trade activities in an unhindered way.
Business leaders while addressing a rally attended by thousands of small white flag-carrying businessmen, workers and employees of industrial and commercial establishments at the business district of Motijheel made fervent appeal to both the ruling and opposition political alliances to bring an end to the ongoing violence and let them continue with normal business activities. One former FBCCI president vented his deep resentment over the current state of politics in the country and suggested transferring the authority of governing the country to the businessmen.
The suggestion might have compelled many to raise their eyebrows but the fact remains that the country's politics is largely dominated by the businesses. The majority of the lawmakers are reportedly linked to business activities and most leaders, belonging to both ruling and opposition camps, have business links.
Since the current political trouble is hurting businesses and the economy, it should be the foremost duty of the businessmen-cum-politicians to work sincerely and seriously to bring an end to the trouble. Since they are the majority in the political domain, they should flex their muscle duly and help find out a solution to the current political stalemate. The process of resolution is getting increasingly difficult. Yet a solution is achievable provided both sides demonstrated their goodwill to this end. Â
If the businessmen-cum-politicians could achieve success in their bid, they would be helping themselves as well as million others who are not anyway linked to politics except for queuing up after every five years to choose a government that would rule them during the periodic electoral cycle. But making that choice has also become all the more difficult this time since the candidates in more than half of the parliamentary constituencies have been elected unopposed! Â
The businesses have both strength and clout to protest any wrongdoing even on the part of the administration or seek concessions to help overcome difficulties. A case in point is the Bangladesh Bank's latest decision to slash lending rate on export development fund (EDF) by one percentage point to help the exporters now facing difficulty due to the on-going political unrest.
But the plight of millions of voiceless day labourers and others engaged in very lowly paid menial jobs gets hardly noticed. The politicians do everything in the name of these helpless people but conveniently forget them once they manage to get hold of the rein of power.
Men on both sides of the political divide are responsible for the current spate of political unrest that has been disrupting normal life and economy. But the major part of the responsibility goes to the government of the day. It cannot remain indifferent to the need for ensuring peace and stability using democratic means and helping the economy return to the old track. Bangladesh cannot afford to lose the growth momentum that it has acquired over the last two decades and a half. Businesses should make the politicians understand this basic fact and try to prove the prevailing notion that they are engaged in politics just to make financial gains, wrong. Â
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